Jewel of the Sea
by KH2083
Summary: Haruka finds a strange pendant on the beach and decides to give it as a present to Michiru not knowing the trouble it will cause later.
1. Chapter 1

**Jewel of the Sea**

World: Sailor Moon

Time: After the end of the series

Characters: Haruka and Michiru

**Chapter 1**

The Sun was disappearing slowly behind the horizon coloring the sea with a reddish hue. Waves were hitting against the rocky coast making a racket deafening all local sounds, even a singing of cicadas which were exceptionally noisy that year. A young woman with short, blonde hair was walking between sharp rocks sticking out of the ground of the coast. The wind was blowing at her face. The girl was squeezing small pebble in her hand. She stared at a little cruiser sailing slowly in the distance. She had arrived there on her motorbike few hours ago in order to think about herself, about her mission, about everyone who she got to know and about Michiru - the girl with hair of the color of the sea waves. It was because of her she had come to the sea. Feeling of the approaching threat made her uneasy but she didn't want to worry her girlfriend. After a few hours of fighting with her own thoughts she got on to the motorcycle and dashed off ahead because she wanted the wind to blow off all doubts from her mind and show her that it was only her imagination that she had sensed threat from Michiru. Haruka had stayed on the beach for a long time. Air became very cold, so she decided to come back. She was comforted, although feel of the anxiety could not leave her alone. She looked at the sea for the last time to say goodbye to it and then she came back to the bike. She felt that she had touched something cold with her leg. She squatted and looked between stones near the line of the water noticing strange, golden, rectangular object and picked it up. As it turned out it was some kind of necklace, golden rectangle attached to small chain inside which jewel sparkling in the setting sun light was placed. The warmth which was beating from it had a soothing effect on Haruka. The girl put it inside her pocket. She got back home not knowing that the locket was glowing with bright, emerald brilliance. Haruka reached home when there was already a very late evening. The crescent moon was glowing on the sky coloring everything in the surroundings with a pale glow. The girl looked at the nearby building. In the flat in which she lived with Michiru the light were still turned on. Neighborhood was quiet, the night yielded only in a few places where old lamp posts were standing. There were no cars nearby and sounds from the city centre were nothing more than just a distant noise fading into nothingness. The blonde went into her flat.

"Michiru is waiting for me." She thought and smiled taking the locket found on the beach out of her pocket. Her girl was sitting on the sofa. She was looking at the moon listening to the music from her CD player.

"Hi. You were out for so long; I thought that you had escaped." Michiru joked turning in the direction of her friend. She asked Haruka to sit down by her.

"You know, I found a jewel today" The blonde informed.

"The jewel was given me by the sea, so I thought that it belongs to you. It was born in your kingdom." Haruka sat down beside Michiru. She opened her palm and put a necklace inside it. The girl goggled. "You spent half a day, who knows where only to buy a present for me?"

"I'm telling you that the sea gave it to me. I bought nothing." Girls argued with each other. Michiru hanged the locket on her neck; she stood up and came up to the opened window. Haruka turned the lights off. Now only the Moon lightened the figure of the long-haired girl. A green, cold light sparked inside the locked. Haruka didn't even know when she had gone to the bed. She was in the dark room and was looking at the dark ceiling listening closely to beating of her own heart. She felt that dream started to embrace her slowly.

_She is in a huge room. Enormous pipe organ is standing in its center. Red haired witch Eudial is sitting by it. She is her old enemy. "Only one narrow corridor is separating me from her, the bridge" - thinks Haruka and her hands are clenching in order to cast the most powerful spell she knows at the red witch. Michiru dressed in her uniform appears suddenly before her. She is gripping her hand and destroying the spell. Later the bridge is crushing into small pieces and she is falling into the abyss dragging Michiru along with her. She is trying to scream but she is falling deeper and deeper. Deep. Depths. Ocean. Deep Submerge. Water everywhere, above the head, under the feet, around the body. Water in the emerald color, in the color of her hair. Strangling and felling, enslaving, fatal? Haruka is rising in it completely nude. Defenseless, dependent only on the ocean, only on Her. After a moment she is opening her eyes. She can see that she is staying on some building. Lightings are raging on the sky, the city is on the fire and it is tumbling down. She knows what she is supposed to do. She is raising her hands up. Golden bracelets with precious jewels are flashing on them. She is shooting from them, she is shooting at her, she is shooting at the woman in the golden armor. To defeat her it is now the most important thing, to defeat her, to rescue the World and free the Galaxy. She is taking the sword made of a light and with its help she wants to get rid of the woman once and for all. She is jumping on her, woman is knocked over. The golden armor is jingling; the golden helmet is falling off the roof straight to the city being on fire. The storm of emerald hair is spreading around. Haruka is shocked. She is opening her eyes from amazement._

_"You cannot hurt me, I knew it." Michiru dressed in the golden armor is standing up and then she is pouring the wall of water over the blonde girl. Golden armor. Golden bracelets. Golden control, golden darkness._

Haruka woke up. She looked around the room, got up and went to the window.

"There is still the night". She thought. She looked at the bed in which Michiru slept and stopped worrying. She lay down. The locket on a bedside table was shinning with green, cold light again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
**

Haruka opened her eyes and a morning Sun welcomed her with its warmth. The girl was trying to cover her eyes from its shining rays. After a few seconds she decided to get up. She went to the other bed because she wanted to see if Michiru was awake, she really needed to look into her deep eyes. Unfortunately she didn't find the familiar picture. The bed was empty; there was no pillow put on it. Haruka became agitated. She knew that Michiru liked to get up earlier than her, but this time intuition told her that something was not all right. She combed her hair and moved towards the dining room and the kitchen. She looked at the table and cupboards. Everything was in the state like the day before; nobody could come into these rooms in the morning. The girl became nervous; she felt a cold sweat flowing on her forehead. The reason of her anxiety was the fact that everything was single amongst kitchen things but she lived together with Michiru! They had done everything together for a few years; they were with each other every moment. The Haruka's heart was beating more and more firmly, she started being afraid of a situation in which she found herself. She ran to the wardrobe and started looking for something in clothes. All of them were hers, none of the dresses belonged to Michiru.

"Where are you?" She screamed not being able to believe what was happening around her. She started taking clothes out of the wardrobe and throwing them in all directions. After a dozen seconds she calmed down.

"It's leading me nowhere". She thought.

"Something had to happen. She didn't disappear without the reason. It's certainly a trick of some old enemy. He's hitting my weakest point." She clenched her teeth with an anger.

"It must be some kind of illusion." She sat down on the floor and covered the head with her hands.

"I must calm down. I must think everything over".

Michiru was walking along an empty street. At this hour majority of people either were still sleeping or staying in bars and other similar premises. Grey and dirty buildings surrounded the girl. Some quarrel was heard in the distance. Lamp posts still were shinning here and there although the Sun had already came out from behind the horizon. The girl was travelling across the street. Her hair was let down, she had shorts and the T-shirt on herself and on her neck the green locket given by Haruka was hung and a look of contentment was written all over her face. She entered some backstreet in which many old newspapers were scattered around. She knocked with her leg some fat person sleeping on the pavement. After a moment she noticed his other stripped friends wandering around that rubbish tip. She grasped the necklace and then the entire neighborhood started looking like at the bottom of the huge ocean, water covered everything. Michiru was standing in its center with her hair waving in all directions. A few local tramps were floating above her in the wall of water.

"Impressive." The girl whispered. She gripped the locket. Entire water disappeared apart from the thin layer surrounding a few men which looked like drowned. They were standing directly opposite the girl, with dead eyes fixed on her.

"Who am I for you?" She asked.

"Our Mistress" Dead bodies said in unison.

"Go to Hog and tell him that this time he won't win against me. I have a powerful ally." Zombies wagged heads and moved away. Michiru clutched her head. She was seized by the great pain.

Haruka was driving through the city on her motorcycle. Her thoughts were concentrated on her girlfriend which had mysteriously disappeared. She visited a lot of places where she could meet her and everywhere was the same. She was nowhere to be found; what's more her friends seemed not to remember her as if she never existed. Only Haruka remembered her. The girl had to go in one other place, to the art school in which Michiru painted her canvas. She reached there after a few minutes of travel. She put her bike near the entry to the building. Some bearded guy in the yellow shirt was standing there.

"Hello, Haruka." The man recognized her.

"I'll keep an eye on the motorcycle." He added.

"Good." The girl answered and went farther because she didn't feel like talking to him. She went up along wooden stairs. She passed the wall on which images hung, one of them painted at one time by Michiru portrayed the mermaid in a sea depths. Haruka lowered her eyes. She found herself in the dimwit, narrow corridor at the end of which Kiyoko's room was located. She was an artist and one of Michiru's good friends. The girl had medium-length, curly, brown hair and green eyes. She was dressed only in a shirt and denim trousers. When she saw Haruka , she smiled to her.

"Welcome."

"Hi." The blonde replied.

"Do you know where Michiru is, I'm looking for her everywhere". Kiyoko thought for a moment and answered her.

"Michiru, I have never met a person with such a name or an alias. I'm sorry." Haruka became nervous. "Are you sure what you are saying? She's your friend; you're exhibiting your works together!" The girl raised her voice.

"What do you mean?" Kiyoko became tense also.

"Look. How can't you know who Michiru is and at the same time you remember me? I don't know you very well!" Haruka looked in her eyes.

"Where do you know me from? I'm not an artist; however you know that I have often come here. You must remember with whom!" Kiyoko became pale and was struck dumb.

"I don't remember, I know that you have come here often and we have talked a lot. But I cannot remember with whom. I don't remember." She looked at Haruka with eyes filling with tears.

"What is going on? Tell me! What does it mean?" The blonde gripped her arm and dragged her fast to the corridor in a front of the stairs leading to the ground floor. They stood up by the image of sirens.

"Look. Tell me who painted this image?" Haruka asked. Kiyoko was really confused. She didn't know what to answer.

"I don't know. I really don't remember!" Haruka released her hand.

"It's not your fault." The artist moved away from her.

"How can I help you?"

"You cannot." Haruka replied. She punched sirens on the image.

"What the hell is going on?"

Michiru was walking toward some shop. She had incredible headache and stomach-ache; her legs were like made of cotton. She was keeping erect position of the body with an effort. It was hard for her even to breathe; she knew that she had to find some help. She had the emptiness in the head; she didn't remember her address, her name, anything. She felt that she was going to fall down and slowly lost consciousness. At the last moment she was caught by some young man. An image of a huge surprise was written all over his face.

Haruka was driving through the city on her motorcycle thinking all the time about Michiru. She clenched her teeth; she could not look at buildings which she had visited with Michiru in the past. The girl wanted to pass by them as soon as possible. She thought about every event of last weeks and the sea and the necklace with the green jewel appeared in front of her eyes. She was certain; this necklace was associated with Michiru's disappearing. She decided to check the place in which she found it. She turned back to the seaside. Haruka was walking along the beach. The Sun was burning everything on the beach mercilessly. Fortunately in this part of the beach people weren't relaxing because of sharp rocks scattered around. The girl could look around undisturbed. The strange feeling of anxiety returned, exactly the same which she had experienced yesterday. She stood and started looking straight ahead for a moment not thinking about anything.

"Are you looking for gems, girl?" She heard the voice coming from the back and turned around.

"Who are you?" She shouted.

The short, stocky man with a bald head and the big black beard was standing before her. He was wearing the chain mail garment and green tights. Haruka opened her eyes wide from a surprise.

"Are you interested in jewels? Or perhaps you are searching for something you lost, something very valuable to you?" The short man smiled ominously. Haruka clenched fists.

"I told you to introduce yourself."

"I'm sorry. I won't give you what belongs to me." The dwarf teased the girl which enraged her.

"Sailor Uranus, Woman-warrior..." He said to the blonde. Haruka smiled.

"Well in that case... Uranus of Power Planets, Make Up!" She shouted out and changed into Sailor Uranus in the flash of the light. Bearded dwarf just smiled.

"Who are you? Do you know what happened to Michiru? Are you responsible for her disappearing you little shrimp?" The girl screamed.

"Be calm! Whether I look like the villain? I wanted to meet you because we both lost something valuable." The short man explained stroking his beard.

"I gave you the chance. World Shaking!" The woman formed the ball of the energy and pressed it into her opponent. A very huge explosion shook the beach. Sand and stones swept the face of the girl. She covered her face. When dust fell down, Haruka noticed the huge crater in which a short bearded man was standing motionless. He was safe and sound and was laughing maliciously.

"And do you think that you will be able to defeat her? You think that you will manage to free her from the curse?"

"If it was you who did something to Michiru, know that despite of everything I will defeat you. Even if I have to destroy the entire city I'll catch you." Haruka wanted to attack again. She raised the hand. The Dwarf whispered something quietly. Two golems formed unusually fast from sand and rocks behind the back of the blonde. Beings taller than the girl with the shape of the man, but without faces appeared before Haruka. They caught Uranus by hands and held her strongly.

"And now let me introduce myself." The small man came up to the girl.

"I am Hog and the jewel which you found on the beach was my property." Haruka broke free from embraces of monsters; she ran away a few meters and then cast her spell at the opponents.

"World Shaking!" Monsters were broken into small pieces. The girl was satisfied.

"Now I can hear out what you have to say, but do it quickly. If you know something about Michiru, then say this immediately!"

"Like I said, my name is Hog. Your friend became victim of the jewel made by me". Haruka didn't say a word.

"However I'm not responsible for disappearing of your friend. If the necklace was still where it should be I wouldn't even look at this world. I am despising it, I'm suffocating here. However the necklace got to your world and it found the new host".

"The host? Do you mean Michiru?" Uranus was surprised.

"Yes, this Michiru of yours became victim of the witch."

"The witch? Who is she?"

"My biggest enemy. Person who I defeated using that necklace once upon a time."

"Go on. I'm not disturbing you." Haruka calmed herself.

"It came across the powerful host, I am afraid that it can become a threat to the inhabitants of this world also." The short man scratched his chin.

"Go with me, I will show you something. She started to act."

Michiru opened her eyes. The girl was unusually weak and dizzy. She noticed that she was lying on very comfortable bed. She looked at her hands, at the ceiling and then she started looking around the room. She was covered with the soft bedding. A bedside table was standing by the bed, the window was sheltered with the curtains and there was nothing interesting in that plain room. The girl realized that she didn't remember her name or anything which could explain how she had found herself in the place. She was becoming more and more anxious. The boy who had found her on the street went into the room. He had short, black hair and was dressed in a plain shirt and brown trousers.

"Did you wake up?" He asked with a gentle voice.

"You were in a very bad shape when I met you on the street. I brought you here so that you could rest. How are you feeling now?"

"Barely alive." Michiru answered quietly.

"But at least I'm not feeling any pain." She smiled sadly.

"My name is Toshi Takano. And what's your name?" The boy asked.

"I... I have huge chaos in my head now. I cannot remember my name." After these words Michiru became really sad. The boy went up closer to her bed.

"Do you have some family? Are you from this city? Perhaps I should call somebody..."

"I remember nothing!" Michiru shouted.

"I had to have some accident, I remember nothing." Tears flowed from the eyes of the girl. Surprised Toshi moved away from her.

"I'm sorry." The girl realized that she should not be angry.

"I'm sorry." The boy replied and sat down by her.

"Calm down, try to rest and I'll bring some doctor to you. Perhaps he'll know how to help you." The boy intended to leave the room.

"Wait." Michiru called. Toshi stopped.

"Thank you." She said to him with a smile. The boy left the bedroom, closed the door and leaned against the wall.

"She is so beautiful. I'm feeling like I met the nymph, goddess from the sky, I must do everything within my power to help her." He thought. Michiru felt the intense heat on the face. She got up, but this sensation only worsened. She left the bedroom, because she knew that she had to wash her face with a cold water. Toshi got scared seeing her in a bad condition again.

"What's going on?"

"Can you show me where the bathroom is?"

Haruka and Hog reached a wooden house placed near the seashore. Short man opened the door with sweeping move showing the girl not very pleasant view, bodies of three dead tramps. Uranus became nervous.

"Is it your job? And you're showing this to me! You bastard!"

"Be calm, be calm." Small man started scrambling his beard.

"They had been already dead, when they attacked me. I only removed a spell from them."

"A spell?" Uranus was surprised.

"The spell which your missing girl cast on them. She probably also killed them."

"Michiru?"

"Not her." The dwarf corrected himself.

"The one who is residing inside your Michiru now." He smiled and started talking.

"When I arrived and settled here these zombies attacked me. Water controlled their bodies. Sea water, probably produced by your friend. They told me that this time I wouldn't defeat her and then they attacked me with knives. I got rid of them within seconds." Bearded guy sat down on the old box.

"But who she really is, the one you talking about all the time? And why Michiru? She could take control over me; I touched the necklace before Michiru."

"You want to learn everything?" Short man asked suspiciously. Haruka nodded her head.

"Really? Do you want to know?" The dwarf toyed with her.

"I want to rescue my Michiru. Itąs all that matters." The girl answered him.

"Are you ready to go on a tour and expose yourself to a danger? To find the truth you must experience it firsthand."

"I'm ready, I'm ready for everything. I'll do anything to help her". Haruka answered. Hog sighed.

"Well. In that case prepare yourself." He started waving his hands, his body and Haruka's flashed with blue glitter. They both disappeared immediately.

Michiru was standing in the front of the washbasin, she had washed the face and she was staring at her own reflection trying to remember anything.

"I don't know what has happened. Who am I supposed to turn for help to? I'm afraid." She saw Toshi's face in her thoughts.

"Can I trust him?" The locket on her neck started glowing with the emerald light. Michiru's eyes became emerald also. The girl touched her head and then something happened to her again. She stretched her body.

"You fought with my influence so firmly that I had to deprive you of the memory". The witch who controlled girl's body said using her vocal cords.

"Now I can see it, that girl. Her presence only causes that I cannot fully overcome you." She opened the door from the bathroom. She smiled.

"Mr. Takako!" The man sprang out of a chair and came up to her.

"I recalled something, one place, maybe when I can see it the memory will come back to me."

"Do you want me to take you there?" The surprised boy asked.

"Yes."

"But you know… doctor is supposed to come to you. You don't want him to..."

"No!" Michiru interrupted him.

"Please, it is really important. I feel that it will help me."

"What is this place? Takako asked.

"Marine Cathedral." The girl looked at him with the flash in the eye.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Haruka and Hog found themselves in a vast forest. Huge boughs of trees were hiding the view of the Sun. A singing of birds and sounds of other wild animals were heard everywhere. The girl was dressed in some type of leather armor. She had the sword attached to the belt, which resembled the sword of silver crystal belonging to Serenity. Hog was standing by her holding an axe in his hand.

"Where are we?" The girl asked.

"It is not a place. I want to show you the events from my world here. You must participate in the past." "What am I supposed to do here?" Haruka asked.

"Don't chat and walk with me right now!" The small man ran ahead forcing his way through the clump with the axe.

"Perhaps you'll explain to me what is going on here!" Haruka screamed at him, but she didn't hear the reply. Small man ordered her to stop. The girl noticed a carriage surrounded by a few men dressed in leather armors standing nearby the road. One of the warriors raised the sword pointing it at the driver. Groans were heard and the rest of assailants attacked the woman who jumped of the carriage. Confused Haruka looked at Hog who had come out to the route.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm committing the biggest mistake of my life". He replied and ran to the thugs. A few other persons left forest together with him. The girl realized that these people had accompanied them all the time. Assailants noticed them too late. Dwarf hit the first of them with his axe. After such a blow the man fell to the road spurting with blood. Hog pierced second one who tried to help his mate. The woman with brown medium-length hair attired in the light armor and the cape spread arms out screaming: Freezing Arrow! An ice bullet fired from her hand frozen the thug standing closest to the woman who they tried to save. Three assailants joined the fight. First of them, the one with huge physique rushed on the sorceress with the intention of crushing her skull. The witch skillfully avoided his attack bringing him to the Hog's axe. Haruka noticed that one of thugs had attacked the young girl with long, black hair, attired in the white dress, who was hiding in bushes.

"Look out!" She shouted with all her might simultaneously attacking the man with her sword. She managed to defeat him, but the last invader turned over and hurt her arm seriously. Haruka curled up on the ground and the thug geared up in order to finish her off with a knife. Unexpectedly, he was pierced through with an arrow. A man holding the crossbow left bushes. He had the goatee beard. He smiled to Haruka. The fight was finished. The sorceress in the cape came to the rescued woman standing by the carriage.

"Did they hurt you?"

"No, they couldn't; thanks to you". Rescued replied woman being afraid of something all the time.

"Why did they want to kill you?" Woman didn't know how to answer the question; moreover the conversation with the witch seemed to horrify her. However she found the reply.

"These were ordinary thugs; most probably they thought that I had been carrying something expensive. I'm in a hurry. I must bring very important dispatch to the Palace".

After these words she quickly entered the carriage, and after a moment horses moved, although nobody forced them to do it. The witch was looking behind disappearing vehicle for some time as if she felt something wrong in it. She looked at the bodies and then again at the route. The man similar to the goat came up to her.

"Do you think that something is wrong with her?"

"It's none of your business". The woman answered him rudely turning her back on him. Haruka was sitting under the tree holding her wound. Thoughts in her head were in a jumble. Where was she? What was happening around her? What were the people surrounding her? Hog was staring at her with harsh eyes. The young girl, whose life she saved, came up to her, sat down by her and then touched her wounds.

"What are you doing?" Uranus became nervous.

"Be calm. I can heal your wound. Don't move". Haruka was surprised. She looked at black eyes of the girl, at her fragile, small body. She felt ardent wave flooding her soul and calmed down.

"What's your name?" She asked young girl in order to break the silence.

"Ariel". The girl replied smiling.

"Thank you, Ariel". Haruka whispered. Hog observed her from behind the tree all the time. The woman in the cape was looking around.

"Hog, Gulah, Ariel. We must move. The sun is setting, we must get to the Nightingale's Lake; it is dangerous here when the dusk falls". She gazed at Haruka.

"Thank you for your help. You can go to the place of rest with us today". The entire group headed to a footpath leading to recalled lake. After the sunset a pleasant wind was blowing and trees were humming silently. Haruka was angry, she wanted to see Michiru, but knew that she must play her role in this bizarre theatre.

Michiru was sitting at a table on plastic chair. The neighborhood was quite loud, a hubbub prevailed everywhere. She was outside some kind of café belonging to big car park. She was waiting for something. She was herself then, but she was thinking all the time about the loss of memory she had experienced in the bathroom of Takano's home as well as about what had ordered her to go to the Marine Cathedral. She thought about the man who she had to trust also. Some fat woman gorged herself smacking her lips loudly at the table beside girl.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" She said to Michiru. The girl turned away her head. Toshi carrying the tea and something to eat came up to her table.

"Thank you". Michiru said to him taking her piece. The boy sat down by her.

"Why are you helping me?" Green haired girl wanted to know.

"What?"

"Why are you helping me? I'm completely stranger to you. Even I don't know who I was before the memory loss. Perhaps I'm some madwoman, perhaps I'm dangerous?"

Toshi didn't know how to answer. He looked at girl's beautiful face with big blue eyes, surrounded by wavy hair in the color of emerald. He was staring at her body, slender neck, exposed shoulders. He already knew that he could not hesitate with the reply; he was still more convinced that he had to help this girl.

"Don't worry. I promised that I would help you and I will fulfill this promise, no matter what". Michiru was playing with her glass, she was restless.

"It isn't about me, it's about you only. You don't have to take care of me; you have your own matters after all. I can go to this Marine Cathedral alone. Don't you think? I'll handle it myself, I'll will find some bus, I'll ask for the way... "

Toshi put his hand on her palm. He looked at the deep eyes of the girl.

"I never had anybody, I was lonely and nobody needed me. But when I met you everything has changed. You were weak, lost and I could protect you. Now I intend to stay with you all the time until you regain you memories and former self". Michiru felt better and calmed down. Warmth of the hand of the person dear to her, whose name she could not yet remember started turning up in her memory.

Hog's team and Haruka were forcing their way through the forest. Ariel came up to the blonde girl.

"How is your wound?" She asked politely.

"I don't feel it. It's completely healed". Haruka replied. The girl was happy.

"That's fantastic". After a moment the silence interrupted only by squawking of the wildfowl prevailed. The team passed by old oak covered with moss and a stream flowing between its roots. Ariel and Haruka fell behind with respect to the rest of the group.

"Can you tell me something?" Uranus broke the silence. Ariel was glad.

"Who are you?" The blonde asked her. Black haired girl was looking at the distant tree.

"We were gathered together by Miryah". She pointed at the sorceress walking at the front of the team. Haruka looked at her.

"She gathered us together for reasons known only to her. She usually says nothing and we're not asking her questions. All of us perform tasks for her and she pays us well. But she is busy with seeking something. We don't understand her. Some of us are siding with her only for money". She looked at the man with the goatee beard.

"Like Gulah. Others are with her for the adventure".

"Ariel, why are you with them?"

"Because of the debt." The girl lowered her eyes.

"Yes?" Haruka was surprised.

"They saved my life once. Now I'm assisting them with my power of healing". Ariel replied.

Darkness came up in the forest and nocturnal creatures took the floor. Silver moon came out between the branches of trees. Hog intentionally kept away from Haruka in order to evade her questions. Gullah - 'Goat-like man' as the girl nicknamed him, was talking with the dwarf. After half an hour of the trip through forest wildernesses enveloped in total darkness, the group reached very extensive forest clearing where the branches of trees didn't cover the sky filled with hundreds of stars and huge silver moon. Everything around was bathed in its light. Haruka was left speechless by the view of the sky. In the city she would never be able to see it, she thought.

"It's the Nightingale's Lake." Ariel informed her.

"A lake? I can see no lake". The blonde said surprised.

"It's on the other side of these trees". Black-haired pointed at the wall of forest.

"It's our place of rest".

"What is happening there? Hurry up!" Hog shouted waving his axe at girls. Haruka gazed at the forest on the other side of meadows. She smelt a water of the lake, but she could not see it because her eyes didn't adjusted to the darkness ruling in the neighborhood.

Michiru and Toshi were traveling in the car along a road near the rocky sea coast. The girl stayed quiet listening to the boy who was talking about everything what came to his mind. She felt sad. He was nice for her, he sacrificed his own time and she couldn't even tell him her name. When she was trying to recall something a headache started. Toshi stopped the car. He got off and asked the girl to do the same.

"I'd like to show you this place. One can see the sea from here. It's so beautiful, particularly now when the Sun is setting."

They stood up close to the enclosure separating the route from the cliff. There was a smell of an evening, summer wind. The boy looked at waving hair of his friend. He leaned over a fence listening closely to the noise of waves.

"There". He pointed at the building located on a coast.

"There is Marine Cathedral". The girl looked at what he was showing her. She saw a shape which seemed familiar to her. She realized that she had been here at one time; she couldn't recall what the purpose of the visit was. It filled her with a sadness. The boy knew that Michiru wasn't feeling best again and he hugged her. At the moment he felt as helpless as she was. A warm feeling which seemed to fill up every cell of her body pierced the girl. She felt that she had started losing consciousness again. She wanted to ask Toshi for help, but the mouth rebelled against her. She broke free from the hug of the boy.

"What happened? Maybe I shouldn't have…"

"No…" The girl lowered her head

"I must simply go, you know..."

"Okay, in that case I'll wait in the car." Michiru walked away. She went down the stone path below the cliff, where Takano could not see her. The necklace started illuminating with green glitter.

"Why? Why are you fighting? Why cannot I erase her entirely from your memory?" The witch controlling Michiru was thinking aloud.

"I feel it; I feel that your opponent died in this place". She stood on a rock and lifted both hands up whispering words of some spell. A green light fired the sea. Water followed it and started forming into some object. After a moment it took on the form of the woman.

"Apparition created from my power. Take the memory of the one who died here!" After these words the green light surrounded the creature of water. It shaped itself into the silhouette of Eudial. Into the exact copy of the red witch but with black, empty eyes.

"Find Haruka Tenou and kill her". Michiru ordered the apparition which nodded her head and then dissolved into thin air.

Haruka was sitting on a bough of huge oak hovering over the lake. She was gazing at black water in which the Moon was mirrored. Its light seemed to relax girl very much. Majority of the team was submerged in a sleep close by the bonfire but Haruka couldn't close her eyes. She was listening to the night sounds and particularly to the singing of nightingales from which this place took the name.

"Nice, don't you think?" Ariel standing under the tree spoke to the blonde.

"Yes, I can hear such melodies not very often". Haruka answered her.

"It's always this way here. It's a really wonderful place". Ariel replied and sat down on the grass by the tree.

"The singing of birds and the atmosphere of this place let us always recover after the journey". The girl continued.

"You're right, Ariel. I felt better here myself". Haruka confirmed.

"Sometimes I think maybe this place was created especially for us, maybe nightingales are singing for us so we can rest from the tumult of the struggle during our expeditions?" Black-haired was lost in thoughts.

"Hmm". Haruka replied her, but in her heart of hearts she thought differently.

"There is no reason of the existence of this place, there is no reason for which these birds are singing, there are thousands places like this, but you know only one of them and therefore it's so exceptional for you".

Ariel sensed that her companion wasn't content.

"It's exceptional for me. I know that as long as I hear the singing of these birds nothing will happen to me and I'll be able to continue my travel". Haruka jumped from the tree and sat on the blanket lying on the grass. She sat down by Ariel. Girls were listening to the singing of nightingales and after a moment dream embraced them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

Haruka was dreaming that she had been in other place, alone amongst the boundless space filled up with stars. She was sleeping. Hog was standing by her and he was whispering to her ears his history.

_"Our team was travelling in the Realms doing various jobs. Unfortunately its condition was becoming worse and worse with every passing week. Monsters normally sitting deep in forests were coming to roads attacking human settlements driven by some evil power. On graveyards, skeletons were clattering their teeth and dead bodies were digging themselves up and walking between the living. Something or somebody was trying to destroy the gentle nature of this place._ _When we stopped working for the Palace attacks on our squad intensified. In the end we discovered that Christal, powerful witch who we rescued unwittingly from thugs that day was the cause of every trouble in the Realms. She got rid of the ruling family and became the one and only leader of the Realms. Miryah deduced that Christal was collecting a lot of powerful magic artifacts in her tower. She convinced us that we must defeat her because she was trying to create the point linking all realities in her tower and it would let her travel freely in time and space. Then we set off to destroy the tower before she could become even more powerful. "_

Hog continued his story and Haruka plunged in the next realistic dream.

Michiru and Toshi stayed in a small hotel, because the girl didn't want to come back to the city. They rented the room, inside which there was nothing apart from beds and a bedside table. It had only one, tiny and terribly dirty window. Michiru was looking through it at the street. Toshi started the conversation.

"Listen. You are the first girl with whom I'm alone in one room but you cannot even tell me your name, strange don't you think?"

Michiru turned around. The lamp lightened her smiling face up.

"Perhaps it's better this way. Otherwise you would have to hear about my problems". She sat down by him and he looked at him.

"You're supernaturally beautiful, like the siren". He said playing with her hair. The girl gripped his hand.

"I cannot..." She wanted to say something but he didn't let her do it. He kissed her lips. After a moment he did it the second time, and then third time. Michiru didn't defend herself from his mouth, the kiss pleased her.

Haruka woke up from the dream. A blinding light paralyzed her eyes. She was in some village, houses around her were on the fire and people were running in a panic trampling on each other.

"Where are we? What is happening here?" She wanted to learn something. Hog looked at her with stern eyesight.

"It's the next dream which is a projection of my memories. Anything you do here won't change the past. You must only gain the experience".

"This Christal witch set the city on fire! She did it only to get rid of us!" Bearded Gulah was shouting. "Don't chat so much! We must get to the forest!" Miryah ordered them. Haruka started looking all around searching Ariel. She saw her somewhere by the wall helping strangers. She noticed that persons which died from flames were immediately transforming into undead ready to kill everyone. Dead men being on fire were attacking the team from every side. Hog was cutting them with the axe and Miryah was freezing them with ice gale. A few zombies attacked Gulah, catching him by hands and legs. After a moment they took him down from the roof of the house directly into raging flames.

"Gulah!" Haruka was ready to help him, but the short man stopped her.

"You can do nothing! And moreover he has been dead for ages. Don't forget about it". The girl broke free from his hug and ran to the place where Ariel was standing. She noticed that two undead are rushing to black-haired girl. She quickly ran up to them and cut their legs with one move of the sword. The tormented monsters fell to the ground, Haruka grasped Ariel's hand and escaped with her toward the forest. The group escaped far from the small town ravaged entirely by flames. Monsters didn't follow them because they were connected too strongly with the place of their coming into existence. Miryah separated herself from the team and she turned back. Hog knew what she had been going to do, he called her.

"You know that there are living, innocent people in this city."

"It's only a matter of time." Miryah replied coldly.

"You will curse yourself". The woman didn't answer these words and she followed her own way. Haruka was looking after her.

"What is she going to do?" She asked.

"You will see, you must see. It is also a part of my memories". The bearded man didn't feel like talking again.

"I'm already fed up with this game of yours." The girl became nervous.

"When will we finally come back to my world?"

"Be patient". Hog replied. They remain silent for the rest of the journey.

Michiru was kissing Toshi. She felt the heat going after her whole body, she closed her eyes, she didn't want to leave of the boy because she felt safe in his arms. She saw briefly in her thoughts girls' face with blonde hair who was calling her by the name. She opened her eyes and quickly walked away from Toshi. He was incredible surprised.

"Why? Why did you get scared?"

"We shouldn't do it. I perhaps have somebody, I wouldn't like to betray her, to hurt both you and this person". She started to sob uncontrollably. Toshi was standing by her not daring to take any step.

"And one thing more". She whispered.

"My name is... probably my name is Michiru". She got hold of the necklace radiating with green light.

Haruka was standing by the tree known to her fixing her eyes on the lake plunged in the darkness. She was furious at Hog who forced her to go through such events. The night in this place was filled up by the singing of nightingales as usual, but then it didn't make any difference for the girl, it didn't calm her the same way as the last time. This calm landscape of the lake didn't fit to what was happening with the world which she was in. Ariel was also embittered, because the entire city not to mention one of her friends died before her very eyes. She was sitting a long way from Haruka, tears were flowing on her face. She could not calm down. The blonde knew that she had to somehow comfort her.

"We couldn't win." She whispered not looking at her side.

"Why this place is the same as usual?" Ariel asked turning to her.

"Why this place is so calm, birds are singing carefree when so much evil is happening around? Now I can see that this singing is not making any difference, it has no purpose for us". The girl cried. Haruka rested her hands on her shoulders. She looked at her big, purple eyes.

"No Ariel. I grasped the meaning of this place after everything what happened. This place is special, it exists only for us. It is in us. Thanks to it we always have place to come back, no matter what terrible things are happening all around us. It always reminds us that irrespective of everything good times will come and then we again will be able to be pleased with it. I have such a place, by my Michiru's side. Don't search for your own haven around, Ariel. Create it for yourself". The black haired girl calmed down. She looked at the blonde smiling. The blonde bent over her and kissed her lips.

"If we want good times to come we must fight for them. Therefore don't give up, please". Girls kissed for the second time. Hog was looking at them not very pleased. Haruka firmly pressed the body of friend and she did exactly the same to her. After a few minutes of hugs Ariel started dissolving into thin air. Her body became as transparent as the fog and Uranus could not sense the warmth of her shoulders. She opened her eyes with a terror.

"Ariel! What is happening to you!" She looked at Hog with a fright.

"Do something!" The short man scratched his beard not saying a word. Ariel disappeared entirely. Haruka clenched fists.

" Ariel passed away that night. You changed only your dream rather than the past by saving her live. I warned you about it". The short man replied very calmly. The blonde fell down on her knees, she hit the earth with all her might. Tears started to flow from her blue eyes.

"Bloody hell! You bastard! After I told her everything. After I convinced her to live. And what was the reason for all of this?"

"You didn't do it for her, only for yourself. In order to better prepare to the clash with your opponent". The short man ordered her to finish despair with these words. Entire scenery, lake, darkness, forest and the Moon started to disperse into the nothingness leaving only a strange, horrifying glows after themselves. Meadow under Haruka cracked as glass and it scattered into small particles. The girl fell into the abyss to the next dream, to next illusion. She felt that she was floating above the world and above her a boundless space was stretching. Below herself she could see the city which she had visited in the previous vision. Now however it wasn't on fire, it was quiet, calm, as awfully empty as some ruins. Even all plants disappeared from it, trees were withered, covered with ash.

"Miryah did this. She used her most powerful spell Extinction in order to destroy all signs of live in the surroundings. She can do all of this. Remember this view. Your task is to prevent it from happening ever again". Haruka's eyes were blinded by the intense lighting. The girl lost consciousness. After a moment she opened her eyes. She was poured with sweat, she was holding the sword in hands. An intense noise prevailed and flames was raging around her. A huge tower which seemed to reach stars towered over the landscape. The sky around the tower shimmered with various colors. Army units run by Miryah were killed under the fire of magic bullets or surrendered in the fight against misshapen monsters of the witch. Hog wielded the axe was fighting with large, red two-headed giants who wanted to crush him with maces. Monsters howled from his blows but they weren't falling down. Haruka wanted to help the dwarf but her sword didn't work on opponents. Miryah whispered some spell after which all wild beasts glowed with blue light and obediently left maces. They came off in the direction of the Tower. The witch was standing in the middle of the battlefield.

"I don't like it. I sense danger from her for us and other people". Haruka shared her observations with the short man. Christal materialized on the sky. She was different than Miryah, calm, dignified, full of the wisdom. A magic shield surrounded her.

"People, don't listen to Miryah. She deluded your hearts fueling hate for me and for each other. She caused conflict only in order to weaken me. She wanted to acquire the knowledge needed for getting this and other universes. She felt a desire for all ancient artifacts which are hidden in this Tower. It is she sent wild beasts to your houses shifting the blame on me and my subjects. Come to your senses before it is too late!"

"Hold your tongue cursed witch! I will finish your life!" Miryah was furious. People standing around were disorientated. Beings defending the Tower also stopped fighting. Haruka could not perform any move.

"Thunder Bolt!" Miryah launched the lightning frightening her opponent. Next she hurled the shower of magic bullets at her. She didn't predict that Christal had been protected with anti-magic shield. Bullets were bounced and they moved to the person which sent them. Witch dodged a few of them, but one of them hit her body heavily. Woman fell down. Hog quickly ran up to her. She whispered the spell with her last breath and teleported herself and the dwarf from the battlefield. Haruka stayed alone, thousands of swords and axes headed to her side. The girl felt that the space around her was changing. She found herself in some huge, crystal glass room. She heard the gentle voice.

_"Miryah went out of her mind centuries ago. She wanted to explore the ancient knowledge which would give her limitless possibilities. Knowledge given to no man. I had to stop her, I had to use all means available in order not to allow her for getting the power. Therefore I used the magic in order to get this place and then I started concentrating armies which would defend it. I had to find and protect Ancient magic Artifacts in the Tower so that they don't fall into her hands. Therefore I had to win the power over these lands. Gods forgive me blood which I spilt. She used it. She sent plagues to countries, monsters in order to destroy my image even more. She turned everyone against me. "_

Haruka was sitting on crystal glass rock, the woman or rather her apparition were closer and closer to her.

_"Unfortunately through my action I brought even greater disaster to the world. Objects which I gathered started having an influence with each other, combining their power and distorting reality more and more. My Tower was connected with other worlds. If she got it she'd probably used it in order to acquire the knowledge of other worlds also. She is right. I am cursed, because it is I who created this place. Rescue your world._ "

Woman looking at Haruka dissolved into thin air. The girl was in the identical room as before but entirely black, she was looking through some pane at Hog and Miryah resting in the tight, dark room. The woman was dying. She was keeping the bullet of the light in hands. The short man was working by the huge forge casting something in gold. He was working very quickly, he was irritated.

"Now you are the only hope. You must defeat Christal. I will put my power into the jewel which I am holding and you will have to free it in the Tower. I will transport you to the very her heart of the it". The witch was holding a green stone in her hand. The short man had finished creation of golden necklace, he put the Miryah's jewel in its interior. He took the axe with himself. Haruka tried to tell him something, she screamed but he couldn't hear her from behind the pane. The woman whispered the spell moving small man to the Christal's hiding place and died. Hog turned up at the Tower. Total darkness surrounded him. There was nothing in the room apart from the table on which candles were put. Windows covered with stained glass let in only a little beam of lunar light. Christal came out from behind the wall. Flames of candles lighted up her face, she seemed to be calm. Hog noticed that in the Tower there was no ceiling and above his head colorful stains being opening gates to other reality were pulsating. The short man was furious because he connected all disasters with the woman which was standing before him. He gripped the axe and newly created magic necklace. When his eyes got used to the darkness he decided to act. He hurled his locket at Christal with all his might. The jewel flashed with the green light. Haruka was hitting the pane with fists. She wanted to warn her companion, but without a success. The echo brought her blows around the crystal glass chamber. Hog was waiting. Christal caught the necklace by hand and the magic object started shining very intensively. The woman clutched her head. She tried to fight with the magic embracing her, but she started burning with green fire. Colorful stains became more and more big and started slowly ravaging the entire Tower.

"Excellent work Hog. Thank you". Christal said. Hog was surprised, that she had known his name. The short man opened his eyes from amazement, he realized that it was Miryah who had talked to him. He got hold of the axe sensing danger.

"You fool, you are as stupid and blind as the rest of people. You didn't notice what was happening around you. But thanks to this stupidity I finally won. Now I have Christal's body and power, and the control over all artifacts of this Tower. And what is most important I have control over gates to other worlds".

"It was you all the time." Hog squinted his eyes.

"And then..." He remembered hordes of wild beast.

"And then..." He recalled cities being on fire and shouts of people.

"And then..." He recalled dead city, without bodies.

"It was you!" He attacked the witch with the intention of killing her. Miryah moved her arm. The dwarf flew to the column and he hit it. The witch left to the balcony of the Tower.

"It's time to thank people for my victory and the help in knocking the devious Witch down".

She laughed loudly. Her eyes were glowing in white color.

"Extinction!" She shouted. A blinding glitter emerged from her whole body and flooded the area around the tower completely destroying the entire life there. People, monsters, even trees and flowers didn't have the smallest chances. Everything which lived literally evaporated in contact with lighting of the death, they turned into a nothingness. Hog survived because the magic of the Tower shielded him.

"It's now or never!" He got up and ran up to Miryah who was enjoying her victory. He took a swing with the axe. The woman turned, however too late. Her head fell off the Tower butting against the dry earth. Hog hung the locket on the axe and threw it into one of opening portals. He hoped to goodness that world it'll go won't be inhabited.

_"Then I had to atone for the stupidity which I committed. The tower fell into the space between worlds and I stayed inside in order to plunge its magic for centuries. I had to make sure that she never turns up in any world. Unfortunately she appeared here. My duty here is to find the person who will be able to stop her."_

Toshi was standing at the window. He felt uncomfortable very much after what he did a few minutes ago. He had to start the conversation with her friend.

"Michiru, beautiful name. It suits you. Your memory is coming back. You will remember everything". The girl got up, she came up to him.

"I'm afraid." She whispered and he hugged her strongly.

"Let us leave from here. Let us take a walk somewhere". He took her by the hand and led out of the room. They went down old creaky stairs and then they vacated the building passing by some fat person sleeping on the bench in a front of the gate. There was a night, a pleasant wind was blowing. A pale lamplight lightened surroundings up. Michiru reminded herself what had happened in the room. She felt guilty but simultaneously she designed a plan in her head. She thought that she knew how she would be able to force her memory to return.

"Toshi..." She stood up before him and looked at his eyes.

"Kiss me, I beg you". The boy was disorientated for a moment, but in the end he complied with a her request.

Sailor Uranus and Hog found themselves in the room filled up with a white, soft light

"Your initiation came to an end. You can see how dangerous Miryah is. Now she is in this world and she strengthened by additionally taking power of your friend. She will certainly want to create the Tower again". Haruka realized that she had been in the house from which her expedition started".

"You could see how easy it is for her to kill people, therefore you must defeat her irrespective of everything. You must destroy the locket and kill the body which she inhabited". The girl clenched her teeth in fury.

"I'd rather kill you than Michiru". She replied smiling portentously.

"In that case you learnt nothing!" Hog shouted furiously. His axe started emanating with energy. The wooden door opened with a thud. Uranus and the short man were knocked over by the stream of the fire which immediately caught walls and floor of the house. Eudial or rather the apparition created to her resemblance was standing in the doorway. Empty eyes were gazing straight ahead. Uranus smiled to the new opponent.

"World Shaking!" The white light gathered in her hand. The girl hurled the yellow bullet at Eudial. The specter was thrown through the door, it fell down somewhere nearby. Haruka ran out of the house being on fire.

"Where is she?" She looked all around the beach. She looked at the sky. It already dawned. She felt the intense heat and after a moment she noticed two flames flying to her side. She barely dodged them landing with face in a sand.

"Eudial never had such powers". She thought.

"This is a Miryah's fault! She can create such powerful puppets". Hog shouted. In the sky, fiery ribbon wriggling like an eel appeared. Haruka didn't think more. She dodged the fire, running in the direction of the sea. Eudial was running after her surrounding herself with the ribbon of flames. Geysers of fire launched behind girl's back burning her badly. A huge bullet of fire appeared in front of her, it exploded wounding both her hands. The girl fell down, she could not catch her breath.

"To be killed by such a weak opponent?" Fury seized her. She saw Serenity, friends and Michiru's face. She remembered what she had said Ariel when the one lost her faith.

"Space Sword Blaster!" She shouted standing up to straight legs. A stream of light from her sword was enough strong to extinguish all flames.

"World Shaking!" She shouted out and her diadem lighted with a gold glow. The huge bullet of the energy absorbed Eudial completely burning her artificial body. Haruka was satisfied. She forgot even about pain in hands. Hog came up to her.

"Better take care of these wound". Haruka didn't said a word to him.

"I'll be fighting with Miryah. But I won't take Michiru's life. And I'm sure that with her help I will win". She thought.

When Michiru and Toshi were looking at each other, the first rays of sunshine welcomed them. The girl turned away from the boy.

"Did you feel something?" He asked. Michiru sadly shook her head. Suddenly she felt the intense heat. The necklace started burning with green flame. The girl fell down on her knees, her memories flooded her mind. She could not cope with their multitude, but in the end her thoughts focused only on one things.

"Toshi! Take this necklace off from me! Quickly!"

"What..." The boy made no move.

"Please!" Toshi got hold of the necklace but then his hand was caught with green fire. It threw him a few meters away. Miryah took control of the girl's body. She sent a few waves of water at the boy and knocked him down.

"I got rid of your awareness at last. But my servant disappointed me". She created the magic eye to see where her accursed Hog was. She looked at the hotel and buildings of these surroundings. Having used the entire magic accessible to her, reality started transforming itself around her. Dozens of people stayed imprisoned in buildings which started being twisted. In the place where the hotel stood before horrifying looking huge tower, made out of the stone materialized. Miryah was standing at its top looking to forest with terrible contort of trees and ghostly plants erected at her feet. She could see that Hog and Sailor Uranus was approaching it. The short man looked up, his eyes opened widely.

"The tower is so big? We don't have much of time. My magic isn't acting since we entered this forest". Haruka walked straight ahead not listening to the dwarf. She heard the familiar laughter. Huge creepers emerged from the earth and they tied up her and her companion like ropes. The girl looked at one of trees with a fury. The apparition was sitting on it, this time looking like Tellu with empty eyes. Hog took the axe out and started cutting creepers which immediately grew again. A few plants fired from their flowers sharp spikes. Haruka defended herself against them using sword with an ease. However plants were growing more and more. Neither Hog nor Haruka could concentrate in order to give a final blow to the green witch. The girl jumped in front of Tellu trying to focus the attention of all her pets on herself. Thousands of creepers and branches headed to her side. Haruka didn't have a chance, she believed that Hog would be quick enough and take advantage of the situation she provided him. The short man jumped with the axe at Tellu and before she managed to do anything he cut her from plants attacking Haruka with one move. Uranus dodged branches falling through. She ran up to the apparition. Her sword finished the entire case with one blow.

"Be carfeul, we don't know what else is hiding in this forest." Hog said all the time panting from fatigue. The girl was thinking only how to help Michiru.

Miryah in the Neptune's body was looking at the city stretching out until the horizon. She felt like trying out her new power and entirely destroying it and then to acquire the knowledge of this world. Toshi was unconscious and stone hands growing out of the wall were keeping him in the captivity.

Uranus was running after Hog along long stairs leading to the entry to the Tower. She was blinded by some dazzle. Her eyes stopped working for a moment. She felt a strong blow. She fell over and when she recovered from an impact she realized that a figure looking like Mimete was standing before her. The apparition with black eyes lifted both hands up in order to blind her opponents again. Haruka was disorientated, her eyes still didn't work well enough to effectively defend herself. The dwarf became operative in spite of the fact that he had also seen nothing. Years of experience in fighting did their share. Being guided only by smell and hearing he attacked his opponent with the intense shout. He hit Mimete's figure with the axe and then he cut her in two halves. The apparition dissolved into thin air with piercing shout. Haruka having regained the eyesight was overjoyed with her companion.

"Good work." She said.

"It appears that they rose from memories of your friend. Are you guessing what can meet us next?" Haruka thought for a moment. Villuy, Cyprine & Ptilole.

"It can be even worse".

They ran up to the access to the Tower. They looked at the building. Haruka noticed that some blue shape had glimpsed on the balcony of the Tower. After a moment it turned out that the blue person was creating something around herself. Something looking like the cloud or the swarm

"Let us escape from here! Immediately!" Haruka shouted with all her might and very quickly ran down the stairs. She disappeared in the thicket of forest together with Hog. They sat between huge mushrooms.

"What happened, young woman-warrior?"

"It's Villuy! She creates tiny machines which touch someone's body and destroys it until only bones remain. If she is powered up by Miryah we don't have a chance in the close fight." The girl squinted eyes.

"I'll try to kill her with one shot from the distance". Hog could hear how the swarm is eating trying to get through the entire local flora to their victims. Uranus got up. She focused. Thousands of microscopic robots were closer and closer to her body.

"World Shaking!" Amber bullet soared up toward the Villuy's hiding place. A huge explosion was heard, the balcony of the tower on which the witch stood came down to the ground and hitting the ground shook clouds of dust. Nano machines started getting to the Haruka and the dwarf's skin. They however stopped attacking them and started eating each other. It meant that their creator hadn't lived and they destroyed the closest moving thing because a program in their permanent memory ordered them to do it. The swarm ceased to exist. Hog looked at the Tower. A pale glow surrounded it.

"We must be in a hurry! She intends to destroy the city!" Haruka ran into the gate. The tower shook. The girl ran along winding stairs. Suddenly she felt a great pain and butted against the wall. Blood gushed out from her shoulder to stones.

"Bloody hell!" She shouted. Blue flash appeared again. The girl fell down. She felt blood in her mouth. A red flash appeared behind Hog. The short man was knocked over to the belly. Something picked him up by the beard. He saw the hand and eyeless smiling face of the girl. Something hurled him to the floor. The axe fell out from his hands.

"Is it also your opponent?"

"I didn't fight with them, but they're Cyprine & Ptilole. Two twins who drew the power when they're together. Now they're conjoined permanently". She got some rest.

"And connected with this building. I'll try to stop them".

"No!" The bearded man shouted.

"I will take care of them! You go up and kill this witch! We don't have a time". Haruka ran up the stairs. A blue flash appeared in front of her. Hog was equally fast, he hit in it with the axe. A bloody scratch emerged on the wall.

"Now you will see what it means to hack the old dwarf off. Show and fight!"

Sailor Uranus reached the main chamber of the Tower. There were a huge window by which the girl could see stars and appearing and closing gates to other worlds in the roof.

"It's beginning again". She thought. She ignored her injured shoulder, incised lip and burnt hands. She had to go farther for Michiru. She caught sight of the boy held by stone hands of the wall in the darkness. She came up to him and started freeing him. She clenched her teeth because her wounds ached her.

"Who are you?" Toshi whispered.

"Tell me, did you see the girl? Green hair, pretty". Eyes of the boy opened.

"Michiru? Are you familiar of Michiru?" Haruka was surprised.

"Do you know her?"

"Yes. Something terrible happened. She went mad,... I don't know what is happening".

"Stay here and don't move. I'm going after Michiru". The boy didn't have the strength to talk to her longer. The girl left to the huge terrace. On its end, Michiru was standing looking at the waking up city. Gates to other worlds were opening more and more widely above her head. Michiru turned around. The necklace on her neck gleamed with green light.

"Welcome".

"Michiru, you're in one piece" Uranus was alarmed.

"She is safe. I have to care for the body which I occupy". Miryah smiled ominously.

"I have collected the knowledge, power for years. However you know that when one has a lot, she wants even more. I have gathered all my strength to reach the absolute wisdom for so many years. Because the absolute wisdom gives the absolute power". Haruka could not attack Michiru not wanting to hurt her.

"Christal was my rival. At one time her power could harm my plans. Therefore I decided to destroy her". The woman was more and more excited.

"She collected artifacts which could be used against me... thanks to that I became even more powerful". She turned around. Michiru's hair was waving.

"Thanks to Hog I got her body and then thanks to his stupidity I won the absolute power over the tower, full control over gates to other worlds. " She started laughing.

"Hog got them back from me and then he imprisoned me in the place without the time and space for centuries. But in the end I managed to free myself. I needed only a body, you gave me the perfect one. Now when I got it I will be able to use its energy". She started preparing Extinction spell.

"Damn you! Why are you doing all of this?" Haruka could not restrain herself.

"Give her back! Give Michiru back!" She ran to her side. Green flame from the necklace reached her and effectively hit her. She fell over. She tried to get up. Hog was lying beaten up on the stairs and shattered axe was lying by him. The echo carried the laughter of spectral Cyprine and Ptilole.

"Distract her..." Haruka heard the familiar voice in the head. She got up.

"Perhaps you will try? Perhaps you will try to get rid of me?" She smiled defiantly. Miryah turned in order to hit her. A bullet of the purple light reached her. The woman shouted and fell down on the floor. Haruka got scared. She wanted to go to her wounded friend.

"Leave her alone". She heard a firm voice. She noticed that the woman was standing close by. She had long, dark hair, the same uniform as Haruka and was holding large staff shaped as a key.

"Sailor Pluto. Good to see you". Haruka was glad.

"You arrival at this world led to ripples in all reality. The space-time continuum is deformed strongly by opened gates. I cannot let you reshape in any longer". Pluto lifted her scepter The jewel started shining with violet color. The gates in the space began to close one after another. The sun was higher and higher above the horizon.

"Stop it!" Miryah shouted. She wanted to attack Setsuna with magic. Haruka was faster. She caught Michiru hands and pressed her against the wall.

"Fight with her, Michiru. Expel her from your head. Quickly Michiru, come back to us". Toshi was walking down the stairs of tower. He saw Hog lying on the floor and conjoined Cyprine and Ptilole rushing to him. He saw a flash and fell down. Apparitions prepared to kill him and the dwarf. The echo carried their ghoulish laughter. Hog opened his eyes, but didn't have the strength to reach for the axe.

Haruka has always been strong. She was able to fight for fun with Michiru as equals. But not today. Tiredness, serious wounds and desire for not-hurting the friend made her life a misery. Michiru quickly freed herself from the hug of the Uranus. She pinned her down with a few blows. Miryah was furious. Entire energy she gathered for killing the city she used producing the spell Finger of the Death. She wanted to touch Setsuna. The woman locked the last gate and dodged the killing beam. The ray hit the Tower instead. Impulse moved along the whole structure of the Tower, Cyprine and Ptilole dissolved into thin air shouting from a terror and Hog and Toshi breathed a sigh of relief.

"I will take you with myself!" Miryah shouted. Sailor Pluto prepared to the fight against the opponent deprived of power which gates gave her. Bruised Haruka came up to her.

"Leave her behind. Michiru is mine. It is I who'll regain her. I won't give her back even to you". She smiled.

"There are two people somewhere in the tower. Help them". She added.

"Of course." Setsuna replied and ran to the door leading to the stairs. Haruka caught the body of her girlfriend pressing it strongly to the wall. The witch tried to defend herself, she could rely only on the power of the talisman. The green fire started consuming Haruka's body and mind, but she didn't let the girl go.

"It's my fault. I found this locket and I drew you in it. I'm sorry". Her tears fell on Michiru's shoulders.

"I will not be defeated by you, I will take you with myself!" Miryah broke free. After a moment she started surrounding Uranus with the wall of sea water. A green fire consumed the mind of Uranus and her body suffocated in sea depths. The girl got hold of the locket trying to destroy it. In thoughts she saw the smiling face of Ariel and felt the surge of power. The symbol of Uranus planet appeared on her head. She hugged Michiru even stronger.

"Uranus Power, Make Up"! She shouted and her body started filling up with the energy. A huge pillar of white light covered both girls. The tower started to shake, upper floors walloped. Sailor Pluto ran up to the Toshi and injured Hog. Using her staff she created the protective bubble around them and herself. Stairs also started to tumble down. Enormous forest caught the green fire and it slowly disappeared. The light penetrated Haruka's body gradually cleaning it from the green flame. It reached her friend also, who started regaining consciousness. The girl remembered the moment when she put the necklace on, wandering in the city, her time with Hoshi. She goggled and a sign of Neptune appeared on her forehead. Her body started lighting with emerald glitter. The tower already fell apart for good, but Setsuna with companions safely left the place of the disaster. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were floating above the rubble. Girls looked at each other as they flowed towards the earth. The ruin of the Tower vanished into thin air leaving only a green smoke after themselves and a rubble of the hotel appeared on their place. Setsuna managed to rescue the people imprisoned there. Haruka smiled to Michiru.

"Now". They said together. She got hold of the necklace.

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!" They focused the entire force of attacks on the necklace which was shattered. Miryah ceased to exist. Girls started kissing each other.

The sun was shining high above the horizon. Ruins of the hotel were besieged by police and dozens of other people. In the nearby park, five people were staying far from all the tumult: Haruka, Setsuna, Michiru and Hog. Toshi was looking at them from a distance.

"Oh well, you managed to defeat Miryah and destroy her locket without killing the host. I am full of admiration. I am indebted to you. To tell you the truth I didn't believe in your victory until the end". She said to Haruka. Setsuna looked at him coldly.

"It's time to go. Your longer participation in this world's affairs is disrupting the space-time continuum. We have to go. I will open the door to your world for you".

"Ok, now when the necklace was destroyed I must rely on others". The short man turned around.

"Hog". Haruka called him.

"Goodbye. Thank you for your beautiful dream". The short man waved the hand and repeated.

"Goodbye". He walked away with Sailor Pluto in the direction known only to her. Michiru looked at Toshi.

"I'm sorry Haruka. I have to finish something". She ran up to the boy.

"How are you feeling?"

"A bit disorientated. After I learnt everything about you".

"I'm sorry that I drew you in it." Michiru whispered.

"I was surprised the most by her..." He pointed at Haruka. Michiru touched his shoulder.

"Thanks for that that time when you looked after me. I think that she's also grateful to you". She turned and went in Haruka's direction. The boy could only look as green haired girl is disappearing together with the blonde.

The night was hovering over the horizon and The Moon was shining in the sky. Haruka and Michiru were sitting on a park bench fixing their eyes on its shield and listening to the singing of nocturnal birds.

"Do you know why the nightingale signs?" Michiru asked.

"No, it's not my style to muse on such things". Haruka replied.

The End


End file.
